Great American Smokeout: Quitting Time for Some BWH Smokers

A smoker since high school, Molly Sayce, of the Fish Center for Women’s Health, made a personal goal to cut down on her smoking earlier this year. To do so, she took advantage of the acupuncture services offered by the Osher Clinical Center at the BWH Ambulatory Care Center at 850 Boylston St.
At first, Sayce wasn’t sure if acupuncture would help her, but weeks of treatment turned her into a believer in the benefits of this type of therapy.

“Acupuncture worked for me,” Sayce said. “Have faith in it and be patient; the results take time.”
Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S. Nearly 44 million Americans smoke cigarettes. In an effort to help Americans kick the habit, the American Cancer Society marked Nov. 15 as the Great American Smokeout, a date for people to quit or make a plan to quit.

“Anyone who has tried to give up smoking knows how hard it is,” said Sayce. “If you’re hard on yourself, you aren’t going to make it.”

With the support and encouragement of her BWH colleagues, acupuncturist and her fiancée, Sayce was able to quit smoking completely. She began looking forward to her biweekly acupuncture sessions because she knew she was committing herself to a healthier lifestyle. Sayce has been smoke-free for four months, and says she has noticed many improvements to her health, including reduced anxiety and the ability to take the stairs without becoming winded.

“This kind of resource for employees really makes you feel like you’re working for a place that cares about you,” Sayce said.

BWH Occupational Health Services offers customized quit-smoking plans to BWHers who would like to quit. A list of additional tips and resources is available online at BWHPikeNotes.org.